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Dine with Donal on your next Virgin Atlantic flight

Dine with Donal on your next Virgin Atlantic flight

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I adore Donal Skehan. We met years ago when we were part of a very small band of food bloggers in Ireland (back when everyone knew each other and there weren’t thousands of bloggers, blah blah). He went on to create a hugely popular YouTube channel and make incredible cooking shows for RTE and the Good Food Channel, as well as hosting Saturday Kitchen, and now lives in LA full time with gorgeous Sofie and his adorable son Noah where he’s a TV presenter. He’s also got a brand new cookbook out called Donal’s Meals in Minutes. All this obviously makes me feel like a massive underachiever, but I’ve followed his success over the years and we’ve kept in touch but never actually met, so I was delighted when Donal and Virgin Atlantic invited me to London yesterday to unveil their new project. Read on to find out how you can dine with Donal on your next Virgin Atlantic flight!

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Gorgeous new California adventures from Virgin Holidays

Gorgeous new California adventures from Virgin Holidays

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Well, hello October! I was just saying over on Instagram that I’ve got a very mixed (and very lovely) month coming up, with some exciting travel plans, plus some time at home set aside for baking, drinking red wine and planning future trips, of course. Talking of wine and trips, I attended a really lovely lunch last week in London, especially to hear about Virgin Holidays’ exciting plans for some really special new Californian tours. I think California can be a bit daunting as a holiday destination. We Brits head off to Florida without a second thought, but with California, I think maybe we’re a bit more hesitant when it comes to planning a holiday there: it seems huge, potentially expensive and terribly far away, somehow. Happily all that’s going to change (the hesitant bit, not how far away it is - even Richard Branson’s not that good), with the introduction of a really lovely new trio of one-off, personalised California adventures from Virgin Holidays that will really help you to get under the skin of this beautiful, diverse area.

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Halloween Horror Nights 28 at Universal Orlando

Experience Halloween Horror Nights 28 at Universal Orlando Resort, Florida

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If you’ve hung around these parts before, you’ll know that I’m a massive Halloween Horror Nights fan. It’s the world’s biggest and best Halloween event, and I’ve just returned from Orlando after visiting this year’s HHN (spoiler: it’s AWESOME). I’ve got a whole new post coming soon with loads of information if you’re planning a trip to Halloween Horror Nights, including an explanation of all the different tickets and passes (and also a review of the beautiful new Aventura Hotel at Universal Orlando Resort), so for this one, I’m just going to concentrate on the actual event. Get your big boy pants on, then, because it’s time to find out what it’s like to experience Halloween Horror Nights 28 at Universal Orlando Resort, Florida! Read more

My must do experiences at Walt Disney World Resort, Florida

Slushies, Dole Whip and dancing with Ariel: a few of my favourite things at Walt Disney World Resort, Florida

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So last week, I was lucky enough to be invited to the opening event of the brand new Toy Story Land at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Walt Disney World. I’ve got tons to tell you about new Toy Story Land, including a video showing you all the new attractions and more, but until then, I thought I’d share some of my favourite experiences, dining venues and yummy treats that will add so much value to your Walt Disney World holiday. Often, it’s the little things that people tell you about that can really make a difference to your Disney experience so here are a few that made my trip extra special this time. I smiled so hard writing this and remembering all the fun we had - so grab a cuppa and get comfy while I tell you all about a few of my favourite things at Walt Disney World Resort, Florida (obviously in addition to raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens).

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Why I'm pondering becoming a pescatarian

Why I’m pondering becoming a pescatarian

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Last week, I was on board Celestyal Olympia cruising the Greek islands on assignment for Cruise International. You’ll be able to read my article shortly in the magazine (when I’ve actually finished and submitted it), but one of the things I was really impressed with was the food. We all know that the Mediterranean diet is super healthy, with the emphasis on good fats, fresh vegetables, beans and pulses and of course, all that fabulous fish, and I was bowled over by Greek food. I spend the week eating huge Greek salads, fat olives, fresh fish and vegetables and actually came home 2lb lighter without even trying. I was also fascinated by an article by Sali Hughes that recently appeared in The Pool about her decision to turn vegetarian in her forties. Many of Sali’s reasons echo my own feelings, so as a little experiment, I decided to give up meat while I was on the cruise. And honestly, now I’m really pondering becoming a pescatarian full time.

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All the news from Universal Orlando Resort, Florida

All the news from Universal Orlando Resort, Florida

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Hola! Well isn’t this weather nice? I was actually in Athens this weekend, working for Cruise International, and the weather here in the UK was actually hotter when I landed. Crazy. Anyhoo, I’ve been storing up all the news from Universal Orlando Resort for a while now, so whether you’re interested in breathtaking new rides (in which case, may I direct you to my Fast & Furious - Supercharged post here), beautiful new accommodation options or big fat gorgeous doughnuts, you’ve come to the right place. Grab a cuppa and settle down to read my exciting roundup of everything new at Universal Orlando Resort, Florida.

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The free Disney dining offer is back for 2019 holiday bookings!

The free Disney dining offer is back for 2019 holiday bookings!

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I honestly don’t think there’s a bad time to visit Walt Disney World resort in Florida (incidentally, for a heads up on the best times to go and loads of other info, visit my My Walt Disney World top tips post here), but the free Disney dining offer makes a family holiday at Walt Disney World considerably better value. I always recommend you stay at a Disney resort hotel if you’re visiting Walt Disney World (I think all the perks like Extra Magic Hours and free Disney’s Magical Express airport transfers add significant value), but now it’s even better value. If you’re a bit confused about what free Disney dining would mean to your family holiday booking in 2019, read on. I’ve got all the info on how the offer works, plus some top tips on the best places to book, too.

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How I fell in love with beautiful Viking Sea (part deux)

Discovering the Caribbean on board Viking Sea

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In part one of my little love letter to the beautiful Viking Sea, I wrote about how much I loved the beautiful design details and wonderful service that make the ship so special. as well as telling you about the first stop on Viking’s West Indies Explorer itinerary, San Juan. From there, we sailed on, following a roughly south easterly track that would eventually take us to our final port, Barbados. Here’s the final part of my onboard diary, in which we discover even more of the Caribbean on board Viking Sea.

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A foodie day in San Diego with Virgin Holidays Experiences

A foodie day in San Diego with Virgin Holidays Experiences

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So I’ve been telling you about my magical trip to Los Angeles with Virgin Holidays. After our fantastic foodie tour of East LA and a stop off to explore Temecula wine country, we headed to our final destination, San Diego. We arrived quite late in the afternoon from Temecula and went straight to our hotel, the gorgeously colourful Kona Kai Resort & Spa, before quickly popping to our rooms to freshen up before going straight out to dinner. We only had a very limited time in San Diego and were determined to make the most of it, so our foodie day in San Diego strictly started the night before with a visit to Liberty Station, before returning to properly explore the next day.

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Discovering Temecula wine country with Virgin Holidays Experiences

Discovering Temecula wine country with Virgin Holidays Experiences

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If you follow me on Vivino (if not, please do - I love to chat about wine), or if you’ve read any of my wine writing, you’ll know we’re huge fans of American wine. My obsession properly started after tasting the fabulous American wines available at some of my favourite restaurants at Walt Disney World, especially Citrico’s at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa where the award winning wine list runs to several pages and the Sommelier can recommend some really fabulous wines. It was at Walt Disney World that I first got a taste for delicious, medium bodied floral Oregon Pinot Noir; and rich, peppery, fruity Californian Zinfandel. From there, we went on to buttery brioche Chardonnays too. I love tasting and learning about wine and you can imagine my delight when I found out that during our recent foodie trip to LA, we were going to be visiting Temecula wine country with Virgin Holiday Experiences.

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New Virgin Holidays Experiences and a foodie tour of east LA

New Virgin Holidays Experiences and a foodie tour of East LA

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So you’ve booked your dream holiday: you’ve chosen a great hotel, maybe scoped out a couple of decent restaurants (you know how important this is to me) but what’s the best way to really get under the skin of your destination? Well, Virgin Holidays has come up with the brilliant idea of Virgin Holidays Experiences: a breathtaking range of over 300 experiences for everyone from foodies and shopaholics to the thrill-seekers and outdoorsy types, and even those in search of the perfect Instagram shot. These fab new experiences will enable all of us to create a bespoke holiday experience that truly reflects our interests and obsessions. So whether you’ve always dreamed of shopping with your own personal stylist in New York, fancy taking surf lessons in San Diego, a seaplane trip over Horseshoe Bay in Vancouver or discovering Chinatown in San Francisco, the world really is your oyster! I was lucky enough to travel to LA and San Diego with Virgin Holidays earlier this month to try out a few of the amazing new Virgin Holidays Experiences. First up, an incredible foodie tour of East LA.

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My guide to dining at Universal Orlando Resort, Florida

My guide to dining at Universal Orlando Resort, Florida

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If you’re anything like us, one of the biggest considerations when you’re planning a holiday (along with: ‘will there be enough to do?’ and ‘what’s the pool like?’) is ‘are there loads of great places to eat?’. Food is a huge part of our family holiday budget - it’s a big part of our family life at home, so that naturally carries through when we go away together - we want to enjoy gorgeous food in beautiful places. I’ve been thinking for a while now that I really should create a little (well, quite large, actually) guide to dining at Universal Orlando Resort, so if you’re considering a Universal family holiday, you can do a little advanced planning (plus, you know I like taking photos of my food). This is by no means an exhaustive list, but I’ve tried to include everywhere I’d dined in and enjoyed as well as a couple on my still to do list.

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Grand Cayman - my perfect destination for Plan a Cruise Month

Grand Cayman: my perfect destination for Plan a Cruise Month

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October is a super exciting month in the cruise industry. It’s when everyone who loves to cruise comes together to celebrate Plan a Cruise Month: a whole month devoted to everything to do with cruising and the perfect time of year for you to plan your own cruise - especially as there are loads of fantastic offers and incentives available throughout the whole month. This year, the theme of Plan a Cruise Month is ‘destinations’, and I thought I’d tell you about Grand Cayman, one of my very favourite cruise destinations, by having a reminisce of my own lovely trip there, on assignment for Cruise International with Charlie.

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A foodie weekend in the Chilterns

A foodie weekend in the Chilterns

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We love where we live. We’re so lucky to live in this beautiful part of the world, surrounded by gorgeous countryside and yet just 30 minutes’ train ride away from London. I feel like we have the best of both worlds. People are always asking us about our favourite places to eat and stay in the Chilterns, and it’s honestly taken us lots of evenings of chat (and lots of bottles of wine) to narrow down our choices, such is the wealth of fabulous places throughout Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and beyond! Here, then, without further ado, is my perfect foodie weekend in the Chilterns. I do hope if you’re ever in the area, you’ll come and give some of these fab places a try!

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The perfect French 75 cocktail (pic: Brockmans gin)

The perfect French 75 cocktail

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Let’s be honest, one of the best bits of being on holiday is getting to try ALL the local cocktails, am I right? When the lovely bunch at Travel Republic asked me to contribute to their cocktail-themed travel guide - packed with information about destinations and their signature cocktails - I was happy to oblige and I knew exactly which city (and cocktail) to champion. Mr E and I absolutely love Paris, and to us, the French 75 (or soixante quinze) is synonymous with our favourite destination: chic, stylish, and just a little bit outré. It’s Paris to a T. Here’s how we make our perfect French 75 cocktail at home.

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Mr E at the De Vere Latimer Estate

The De Vere Latimer Estate

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As we had some travel plans cancelled in August, Mr E and I have really been enjoying exploring our lovely local area. The Chilterns are stuffed full of historic stately homes and manor houses: from Waddesdon Manor, designed in the style of a romantic French Renaissance chateau, to Sir Francis Dashwood’s extravagant, Italianate West Wycombe Park, we have a huge diversity of beautiful buildings to visit. One that might have escaped your radar is Latimer House, now the De Vere Latimer Estate, a stunning mansion house estate that has recently undergone a huge (£7m) refurbishment that has transformed the original mansion house, including a beautifully renovated library, a coffee shop, a brand new restaurant: 1838 Restaurant and Bar, and the new Huntley Bar as well as additional luxury bedrooms and an elegant new reception.

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